Sheila: Book Reviewer,writer and great lover of books...sharing her wonderful finds of fantastic authors,their books, writing tips, and also other things of interest to her and those following the blog. Thanks for visiting! Follow today and don't miss out on news of great new books and giveaways!

FTC,FYI: I received an e-copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Book Description:This Cinderella didn’t plan on a prince . . .

Kat
MacTaggart is a girl who has a plan for everything—including her
holiday ski trip to Monterra with her best friend. Everything is going
according to plan until she finds herself careening out of control down a
mountainside and being rescued by a guy who looks like Superman’s
hotter Italian cousin.

HRH Prince Nico is intrigued by the woman
he saved on the slopes and her refusal to date him. He offers Kat a
deal—let him show her his country and he’ll pay her to write articles
that will help Monterra’s tourism industry. Kat agrees, but given her
past and lingering distrust of men, she has one condition—absolutely no
kissing.

Thanks to the claims of a jealous British noblewoman and
the schemes of a meddling paparazzo, Kat’s rule doesn’t seem to be a
problem at first. But the more Kat gets to know Nico and the people
around him, the harder it is to remember her keep-your-distance plan.
Should she stick to it or risk everything for a chance at happily ever
after?

Excerpt

What was he doing with his fingers? Everywhere he touched me he left little pools of flame behind.

He was unfairly using his masculine wiles
against me, and I was stupidly giving in. I opened my eyes to see him
studying me as he slowly ran his knuckles against my cheek. “So is that a
yes?”

“It will be a yes. I will pretend to date you,
go where you want me to, write what you want me to write. On one
condition.”

He waited for me to continue.

“No more kissing.”

His hands stilled. “Ma che?” I guessed that was Italian for “What the frak did you just say?”

“If you think about it, you want me to stay
objective when I write the story, don’t you? So we should take kissing
off the table, right?” I didn’t know if I was trying to convince him or
me.

“So you’re worried that my kisses will sway
you and harm your objectivity?” He paused, as if considering. “That’s
probably true.” He went back to lightly caressing me, and I worried that
I might have to start planning my own funeral because I was dying.

But I couldn’t let on just how much he affected me. “Full of yourself much?”

He had his face close to mine, and I could
feel his smile, hear it in his voice. He moved to put his lips right
above mine. “You and I both know that I could prove as much right now.”

Of all the things I expected him to do and
say, the next thing to come out of his mouth was not one of them. “I can
do that. If you don’t want me to kiss you, I won’t. I will wait until
you ask me to.”

Usually I would have been like, so not going
to happen, but in this case . . . well, I hoped I was strong enough to
stick to my guns.

Nico ran his fingers through my hair, and I
unconsciously tilted my head to lean into his open hand. “Am I allowed
to still touch you? I’m not sure I can promise not to touch you.”

“Uh . . .” I meant to say something. I did. He completely disrupted all of my brain waves.

“Because it would seem you like touching me as
well.” I opened my eyes and looked down. I had both of my hands on his
bare chest. When had that happened? I didn’t even remember doing it. My
hands obviously had minds of their own. I clenched them shut and put
them back in my lap.

“Touching is okay, I guess,” I said in that
same breathy voice that I only had around him, and now felt like my new
permanent one. To be fair, and putting aside the fact that I enjoyed it,
Monterrans had repeatedly proven themselves to be an affectionate and
kind of handsy people. I couldn’t exactly say no to him for something
that was cultural, could I?

Yes, even in my foggy haze I was aware of my pathetic attempts to justify and rationalize.

“Good. Although I don’t know if it’s very fair to give a man a taste of heaven and tell him he can’t have it again.”

My heart barreled against my chest as he did
that thing where he ran his thumb gently over my lips, across my
jawline, back to my lips. I sort of loved that. I would probably give up
my firstborn child if we could just stay in this spot all night doing
that.

I was going to lose every last bit of resolve I had.

My Review:

Royal Date by Sariah Wilson has turned out to be one of my favorite reads of 2015. I started reading this New Adult, Contemporary Clean Romance and I couldn't put it down. I didn't want to put it down. The story is just that engaging and clever that you just want to keep reading until the very end. Main character Kat
MacTaggart is smart, beautiful, and has a mind of her own, even despite her hard background growing up. She has decided that she is done with men, even if they are good looking and rich. Her first meeting with the handsome Nico is full of witty dialogue that makes you smile. You also can't help but fall for Prince Nico right along with Kat.

Kat,along with her sassy, southern best friend Lemon end up staying with Nico's family after Kat's skiing accident. I loved how the author portrayed the royal family from the fictional European country of Monterra. They were not overly stuffy, but very accepting of the woman who had stolen their elder son's heart. I especially loved the relationship formed between Kat and Nico's youngest sister.This romance has no sex, but it does have some heavy sexual tension between Kat and Nico and some drool worthy kissing scenes. This is a modern fairy tale that makes you want to believe in romance and happy endings, but it still takes the whole book for this to happen. It's not all happiness and roses as there is another story line with Nico's younger sister and a drug problem. It is all handled very well though.This Cinderella-style Romance is fluffy, has a very hot Prince, and is such a fun, easy read. If you like a good fairy tale that will sweep you off of your feet, this is the book for you. Royal Date was selected for publication on Kindle Press
this past March 3, 2015, through Amazon's Kindle Scout program and is currently available as an
e-book. Wilson also now has a book deal with Amazon's Montlake Romance
imprint for two more books, one of which is a sequel to "A Royal Date" called Royal Chase.

Booking her client, Prince Dante of Monterra, on reality show Marry Me
is a royal coup for PR agent Lemon Beauchamp. But thanks to a
last-minute glitch, Lemon must pretend to be one of the contestants
vying to win the playboy prince’s love and then live happily ever
after—at least until the publicity tour ends.

Prince
Dante agreed to go on the show to find a wife, even though he already
has the perfect candidate in mind. She’s smart, funny, sexy, and
completely uninterested in wealth and fame. She’s also absolutely
determined to keep him at arm’s length.

Even if Lemon
weren’t already engaged, she can’t trust a notorious flirt like Dante.
So she ignores the lingering looks. Those subtle, thrilling touches.
That pulse-quickening kiss. Until suddenly, Lemon isn’t playing for the
cameras. She’s lovestruck for real, and just maybe, the man behind the
title is the one who’s always been in her heart.

Meet Author: Sariah Wilson

Sariah Wilson has never jumped out of an airplane, never climbed Mt.
Everest, and is not a former CIA operative. She has, however, been
madly, passionately in love with her soulmate and is a fervent believer
in happily ever afters--which is why she writes romance. She has
published five happily ever after stories. She grew up in southern
California, graduated from Brigham Young University (go Cougars!) with a
semi-useless degree in history, and is the oldest of nine (yes, nine)
children. She currently lives with the aforementioned soulmate and their
four children in Utah, along with three tiger barb fish, a cat named
Tiger, and a recently departed hamster that is buried in the backyard
(and has nothing at all to do with tigers).

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Demons continues the Runes series by USA Today bestselling author Ednah Walters. What happened to Eirik after he left his friends on Earth and went to Hel?
Eirik Baldurson—son of Baldur, God of Light—failed living as a Mortal. He lost the girl of his dreams and nearly got his friends killed. Now, he's gone to the underworld to meet the mother he’s never known. Torn between his duty to her and the man he used to be, Eirik struggles to find himself, until a witch appears in his world. Feisty and stubborn, she is a reminder of everything good he left behind.
Celestia Devereaux proudly attends a charter high school for “gifted” teenagers who embrace magic. Witches. However, she keeps a terrible secret—a prediction that she would one day be responsible for massive destruction and death. Though Celestia uses her clairvoyant abilities to help people, she worries that it is just a matter of time before she goes over to the dark side.
Her world changes when she unexpectedly astral projects to a place she didn’t believe existed and meets a tortured man who needs her help. Will helping him cause her fears to come true, or will he sacrifice everything to save her?

Excerpt:

The man turned the key in the ignition, but nothing happened. Cursing, he kicked the boat. Yeah, genius, that should do the trick.
If I could touch or move things, I could find the problem in under a
minute and fix the damn thing. Fixing things was one of the perks of
being an only child to a man who liked to dismantle and reassemble
things.

I
whipped around at the sounds of rustling and breaking twigs. Two
alligators ambled stealthily toward the boater, who was now on land,
trying to fix his engine.

I’d
forgotten about the gators. They were the reason I was here. I hated
alligators. Hated their scaly bodies and slitted eyes. Hated that I
could see their teeth when their mouths were closed. I couldn’t even
explain when my hatred had begun. I just knew I’d always hated them and
snakes and lizards and anything reptilian. While my friends’ idea of a
horror movie was Poltergeist, mine was Jurassic Park.

Eyeing the creepers, I moved from my place by the tree and jumped in
their path, heart pounding furiously and fear drying my mouth.

“Shoo,” I said, waving at them. “Leave him alone.”

The
alligators stopped, sensing my essence. Animals were weird that way.
The connection between them and Witches was so strong they felt us when
more advanced humans couldn’t. My grandmother had been convinced they
saw us, too.

Praise for Demons

"Ednah just Keeps getting better. Demons is one Hel of a ride!" ~ Karen Lynch, USA Today Bestselling Author of the Relentless series

"A beautiful addition to an already mesmerizing world. Be ready to obsess over a new book boyfriend!" ~ Melissa Haag, International Bestselling Author of Judgement of Six and Beastly

"Echo who?? Erase EVERYTHING you think you know about Eirik, because it's DEAD wrong. This book is the best of the series, BUY IT, DEVOUR IT, AND FANGIRL OVER IT! I'll be right here with you!" ~ Tracy Vincent, Textual Love blog

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:Ednah Walters holds a PHD in Chemistry and is a stay-at-home mother of five. She is also a USA Today bestselling author. She writes about flawed heroes and the women who love them.
Her award-winning, International bestselling YA Paranormal Romance, Runes Series started with Runes and has a total of 6 books in this series. The latest, Witches, released in March, 2015 and her most recent addition Demons, A Runes Companion Novel. Eirik Book 1, the story of Raines best friend and former crush Eirik Seville, to be released on December 15th, 2015. And her international bestselling The Guardian Legacy Series - YA Urban Fantasy that started with Awakened and has a total of 4 books in this series. The latest Forgotten, released in June 2015 (which focuses on the Nephilim, children of the fallen angels.
She Also writes Contemporary Romance as E.B. Walters-from The Fitzgerald Family series, that started with Slow Burn (she has a total of six books in this series) to her new series Infinitus Billionaire: Impulse (book 1) published was in January 2015. Indulge (book 2) released in August 4th, 2015 and Intrigue (Book 3) to be released early 2016. Whether she’s writing about Valkyries, Norns, and Grimnirs, or Guardians, Demons, and Archangels to her love, family, and friendship play crucial roles in all her books.
If you enjoyed reading her books, please consider leaving a review. Reviews can make a difference in the ranking of a book. To be updated on more Runes exclusives, the next book in Eirik's story, giveaways, teasers, and deleted scenes, join my newsletter. http://bit.ly/EdnahWNewsletter
For the discussion about the series, join her private page on FB: http://bit.ly/EdnahsEliteValkyries

Ends 1/1/16
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, December 14, 2015

It’s tough being a thirteen-year old schoolboy, especially when you’re a coward and the big brother who stuck up for you is dead. Oh, and you’ve been thrust into a magical realm you’re expected to save single-handedly. Sebastian Duffy has to learn an awful lot of skills in a hurry if he is to defeat Phobitor by stealing the Spear of Lugh from the peace-loving Tuath. He’s been given some help of course–a mercurial sorceress, an orphaned druidess, a taciturn warrior, a snuff-sniffing leprechaun and a lovelorn poet– an outfit known as the Hibernauts, but can he really overcome a psychopathic, warmongering god when half the realm is bent on his destruction? If he is to have the remotest chance he will have to do deal with aiia, cluricaun, brigands, woodwose, undead warriors, speckled bats, spies, hunkypunks, traitors, skeletons and battle-swine first. And are those Tuath really so peaceable? If only he could find his courage.

Static
fizzed in his littlest fingers. It felt like the most natural thing in
the world. He turned to Conall and pointed. Sparks flew from the tips,
longer and longer ones that raced across the space separating them. Of a
sudden, two streaks of light burst from his fingertips upending Conall
who fell perilously close to the edge. Irritated at not finishing him
off, Sebastian turned to Roisin and Blodwyn, raising his littlest
fingers. Thinking better of it, he span back to Conall. Fearless of the
slippery rocks, he sauntered over and delivered a fierce kick to
Conall’s loins intending to roll him off the edge. The warrior barely
moved. Raising his fingers, he pointed them downward, watching with
satisfaction as the sparks crackled and kindled, building up to the
killer crescendo. He playfully sent Conall’s prostate body this way and
that, edging him ever closer to the precipice. It felt so good to be
killing this insect.

A
renewed roar arose as the host of knights poured onto the battlefield.
Sebastian let his spyglass fall, transfixed. A dreamlike veil began
billowing at the edge of his vision, yet it dissolved rapidly and the
scene sharpened into crystal clarity. Countless souls were being
murdered before his eyes. His defenses breached, harrowing screams
flooded his ears; an awful sound he could not bear. He forced his gaze
upwards.

Gobbleratches had arrived in droves and the sky was filled with twisting, plummeting forms. He sank to his knees. “I
could have prevented this,” he wailed, curling into a ball. “Why did
they do this to me? How could they expect me to kill thousands to save
more? I’m just a boy.” He
screwed his eyes shut and pressed his palms against his ears, trying to
zone out. It did no good. The battle consumed his senses. He could
taste it. “Are you alright?” asked Blodwyn, her voice appearing to come at him down a tunnel. “Why did you bring me here?” he cried angrily, his hands trembling uncontrollably. “I’m so sorry,” sobbed Blodwyn, dropping beside him. “I’m so, so sorry.” “I can’t get away,” he screamed. “I’m scared. I want to go away. I want to go home.” Feeling
her hands on him, he pushed her roughly away, but when she persisted he
found he had no fight left and he let her fold herself around him,
opening his eyes to her hypnotic gaze. He saw her raise her arm and
bring it toward him, felt the branch touch his brow, and as her lips
brushed his lobes and her tears kissed his face, heard the words she
whispered in his ear, knew, even as he dissolved into sleep, that he had
never heard anything so wonderful in all his life. “Child of my heart,” she murmured. “Child of my heart.”

Praise for The Traitor's Trap:- An imaginative epic…an intricate and fully realised fantasy world with a big cast of likeable characters that are charming, well drawn and endearing, with wonderfully apt names. The depth and breadth of the author’s high-voltage imagination, and the richness of the world created is very impressive.
~Sam Mills, author of Blackout, The Boys Who Saved the World, and The Quiddity of Will Self

- I cannot say just how much I have enjoyed this book ... a very accomplished writer with a wonderfully rich imagination and an incredibly inventive mind. Readers will come to love the many wonderful creations in this novel, it is jam-packed with the most wonderful and inventive characters; new, exciting and beautifully realized. ~Cherry Mosteshar, author of Unveiled: One Woman's Nightmare in Iran

Author Brendan Murphy
Brendan Murphy was raised in Sheffield, England, with dreams of becoming a writer, and has written every day since he was nine years old. After reading medicine in London and psychiatry in Manchester, he moved to Australia in 1999. He is an Associate Professor at Monash University and has written widely on youth mental health. His nonfiction work on the development of football in Victorian society, From Sheffield with Love, was published in 2007. He is contracted to Assent Publishing for his six-book fantasy series, Sebastian and the Hibernauts. The first adventure, Beyond the Gloaming was published in 2014 and the sequel, The Traitor’s Trap, in 2015. He is a columnist for Aontacht magazine. He lives with his wife, Katrina, and their children, Sebastian and Violette, in a sprawling property built for the composer, Dorian Le Gallienne. They share their garden with a mob of kangaroos, a wombat, two possums, any number of creepy crawlies, and some very feisty kookaburras.

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 12/28/15
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tangerine
Street is a must-see tourist stop with a colorful mix of one-of-a-kind
boutiques, unique restaurants, eclectic museums, quaint bookstores, and
exclusive bed-and-breakfasts. The Mariposa Hotel, a new resort, has
revitalized Seashell Beach, bringing new life to the sleepy beach town.
In the charming gardens of the hotel sits a three-hundred-year-old
wishing well transported from Mexico. One toss of the coin, a sincere
wish, and lives are changed forever…

Other books in the Tangerine Street Romance series: The Fortune Café The Boardwalk Antiques Shop

My Review:The Mariposa Hotel is another book in the Tangerine Street Romance series. I truly love how in some way all of the books are connected by the businesses that call Tangerine Street their home and the people that live and work there.

In The Mariposa Hotel, there are three stories of very different people from all walks of life. They all meet in the hotel and a romance blossoms, some have a more difficult time, but in the end love conquers all. I like that this is a book of people changing and striving to make their hopes and dreams come true. The wishing well in the secret garden of the hotel was my favorite part. You will find some great romances in this book, with some swoon worthy kisses too.

The Mariposa Hotel can be read in one sitting, or read one story and come back later to read the next. As I've said before when reviewing books with novellas, this kind of book is perfect for the busy woman trying to fit everything in to their day, including some time for themselves. All three of these authors are fantastic writers, so you know you will be reading high-quality stories and clean romances.

Meet the Authors of The Mariposa Hotel...

Julie Wrightstarted her first
book when she was fifteen. She’s written over a dozen books since
then, is a Whitney Award winner, and feels she’s finally getting the
hang of the writing gig. She enjoys speaking to writing groups, youth
groups, and schools. She loves reading, eating, writing, hiking,
playing on the beach with her kids, and snuggling with her husband to
watch movies. Julie’s favorite thing to do is watch her husband make
dinner. She hates mayonnaise but has a healthy respect for ice cream.

Melanie Bennett Jacobsonis an avid reader, amateur
cook, and champion shopper. She consumes astonishing amounts of
chocolate, chick flicks, and romance novels. After meeting her husband
online, she is now living happily married in Southern California with
her growing family and a series of doomed houseplants. Melanie is a
former English teacher and a sometime blogger who loves to laugh and
make others laugh. In her downtime (ha!), she writes romantic comedies
and pines after beautiful shoes.

Heather B. Moore is a USA Today bestselling
author of more than a dozen historical novels and thrillers, written
under the pen name H.B. Moore. She writes women’s fiction, romance and
inspirational nonfiction under Heather B. Moore. This can all be
confusing, so her kids just call her Mom. Heather attended Cairo
American College in Egypt, the Anglican School of Jerusalem in Israel,
and earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Brigham Young University in
Utah.

Thursday, December 10, 2015

Welcome to the Best of 2015 Giveaway Hop. This hop is hosted by Mary from Bookhounds and features the best books that were published or read in 2015.

I've read some great books this year, but instead of megiving you a variety of books to choose from, I'm offering a$10 Amazon gift card so you can choose the book you'd like. This stop is opened INT! Everyone that stops can enter.

I'd love to know what your favorite book was that you read.I'm always up for good book recommendations.

After you enter here, make sure to go enter at all of theblogs hosting a giveaway!

In the ten winters since Kyanos was defeated, Rider Braidyn and his dragon, Turqueso, have made a place for themselves in the sleepy Boeskay colony. But when two nestlings are stolen from the hatchling cave, Braidyn’s sense of justice leads him on a quest to find the person responsible.
After recovering one nestling, Braidyn recruits his old friends Ruskya and Carryl to help. The friends travel to a faraway desert colony where they find a group of riders with different customs, and meet a beautiful young woman who could be the key to finding the missing nestling. Can Braidyn learn to temper justice with mercy, or will he risk losing everything?
Journey along in this exciting fantasy world in the spellbinding second installment of the Dragon Courage series, Dragon’s Heir, by Kandi J Wyatt.

Excerpt:

Two hands gently lifted the hood off to reveal a beautiful young woman with almost black eyes. Her hands shook slightly as she let the hood fall back to reveal long, black locks of hair that cascaded down her back. The deed was done. She couldn’t go back on her decision now. It was out of her hands.
Her father would have to accept her now. Even if he went back on his word again, she could provide the family with another dragon. She closed her eyes and imagined the look of surprise on his face.
“Daughter, how did you do this?” he would say.
She would reply, “It was simple really, Ahbah.”
With amazement in his eyes, her father would take her and accept her as part of the clan. No longer would she be an outcast; she would truly be an Agamid.

Author Kandi J. Wyatt
:

Kandi J Wyatt is a wife, mother of five, teacher, artist, and author. In her free time, she enjoys writing fantasy stories and Christmas programs, and drawing with graphite and colored pencils. Portraits are her specialty. Kandi also enjoys photography, thanks to her photographer husband who has let her join his journey as both his model and apprentice, and she occasionally serves as his assistant when he needs a “light stand with feet.”

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 12/29/15
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
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Note: Added 7-22-2014...I am suspending any reviews from new authors for a few months. I'll still be open to reviews from authors I've reviewed for previously. I am back logged with reviews and my new school year is starting soon. I will show here on the blog when I'll be accepting new review requests.

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